Feathering-propeller.



A. M. AKERMAN. FBATHERING PROPELLER. APPLIOATION PILBD FEB.3,1912.

1,047,872, l Patented Dec. 17,1912

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EATHERN'GMROPELLER,

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Dec. l?, i912.

.Application lle February E, 1912. Serial No. 675,280.

. To aZZ 'whom t may concern:

' of construction, operation, control and adyso justment.

Vith these objects in viev:r my invention consists in the novelconstruction, combination and, arrangement of parts hereinafterdescribed in detail, illustrated in the accom panyingr drawing andparticularly pointed out in the appended claim.

ln the drawing-Figure l is tcp plan view of a section of the stern of aboat or vessel with my invention applied thereto, being also a sectionon line l-l of Fig. l. Fig. 2 is a vertical section online'2-2 ofFig'. 1. Fig. 3 is an enlarged vertical section, partly broken away, ofthe mechanism -lor turning' the blades of .the propeller or paddleWheel. Fig. Il, is an enlarged top plan View of substantially the partsshown in Fig. 3, with the cover removed and the sleeve secured to said.cover shown in secn tion, or a section on line 4 4 'of Fig. S. Fig. 5 isa section taken substantially on line 5-5 of Fig. 3. y

. In the several views, 2 represents the hull or body of a boatvorvessel, 3 the propeller shaft and d the counter-shaft driven by anysuitable means and operatively connected with the propeller sha'ltbybevel-gears 51 7. On the shaft 3 is mounted a sleeve l0 which issupported vertically by a Worm-r Wheel l1 keyed to the upperend of saidsleeve. This sleeve is movable vertically on said sha-ft 3 by means of abelleranl lever l2 fulcrumed at 13 on the bearings.,- l', said leverv.having a fork lei which engages annular groove 15 inthe sleeve lil.vllie .bell-crank lever 12 is operated by a rod 16 pivote-d to saidlever at 17 and extending to suitable operators stat-ion. The Sleeve l0is revolubly adjusted about the axisof. the shaft 3 by means of a. Worini8' that enf ,enges the Worm-wheel l1, said Worin being keyed 'to ashaft i9 having keyed thereon 'a drum 2Q onvvliich. is Wound a steering`rope or cable having); runs 2l and 22 running' over pulleys 23 and 24:to the operating stationv on'the vessel (not shown).

@n the sleeve 10, near its lower end, is.

secured cover 25 havinga downwardly ex'- tenfling' annular ilange 26which tits into a cylindrical chamber or box 27 keyed to the Thus thebox 27* lower end of the shaft 3. rotates with the shaft 3 While thesleeve 10' and the ycover 25 thereon are normally sta.

tionary.

which carry blades 32 and 33, While the in* ner ends of these shafts,Within the box, have secured thereto levers 3e and 35 which are,respectively, arranged at right angles to the planes of the blades 32and 33. These levers .are successively engaged and forced intohorizontal position, as shown in Fig. 5, by a lug 3G projecting from theunder-side of 'the cover 25, the timing ofthe engagement being such asto Jforce the propeller-blade into a vertical and operative positionduring apart of its revolution away from the vessel When it is to bepropelled forwardly, or during such portion of its revolution toward thevessel when the latter.v is to be moved backvvardly. During theremainder of its cycle the propeller blade is free and is thus permittedto turn into horizontal. position and feather the Water'Whicli isfacilitated `by securing'the propeller shaft above the median horizontalline of the propeller blade, as shown in Fig. l, and in accordance withthe usual mounting of feathering pad' adjustment. Said Fig. o also showsa change in vertical adjustment of the disk 25 to bringits lug 36 out ofreach of the levers 231iand 35 in which event the blades or pad- 1 dieswill feather continuously when the. shaft rotates. This verticaladjustmentof the lng 86 also makes provision for a partial engagementwith each of the respective levers so as to incline the paddle more orless between its vertical and horizontalpositions and thereby vary theeifectiveness of its propelling power lbetween its maximum capacity invertical position to its feathering position. By this means the speed ofthe vessel may bev controlled without varying the speed of the enginedriving,` the shaft 3. The dotted lines in Fig. Ll indicate dierentpositions of the lug 36. As shown in Fig. 5, the flange 26 is made wideenough to be engagedwith the box 27 when the ,lng is raised sufiieientlyhigh to permit the nps'tanding levers 34 and 35 to pass underneath itwithout touching it. Thev number oi -paddles that may be employed isVnot llim d to two, although for the purpose of iilnstrating theinvention 20, shaft 19, worm 18 and worm-gear 1i. W hen it is desired tovary the speed without varying the speed of the engine driving the shaft1G the disk or cover 25 will be suitably elevated from normal position,or lowered toward said position, by manipulation oi' the .rod 16, orconnectionv therewith, the bellcrank 12 and its forli l5 engaging thegroove l5 in the upper end of the sleeve l0.

Having thus described my invention, I claim as new and desire to secureby Letters Patent- The combination with a rotary shaft, of blades orpaddles rotated or revolved by said shaft, said blades or paddles beingmounted to face and move edgewise through' their path of movement, means'for temporar-ily locking the blades in the'aoing position, means forvarying the looking means to cause same tolorl(L the blades in aninclined position relative to their path of movement and for releasingsaid blades or l paddles entirely from said looking means, and means forshitting the looking means to different positions radially from saidshaft.

In testimony whereof l: have hereunto set my hand in the presence or"two subscribing witnesses.

AXEL M. AKERMAN. Witnesses v JULiA M. Ban-iron, d. W. Bnoiisrnoixr.

